I could not help thinking of the wild ritual of this work, and of its probable influence upon the hypochondriac, when, one evening, having informed me abruptly that the lady Madeline was no more, he stated his intention of preserving her corpse for a fortnight, (previously to its final interment,) in one of the numerous vaults within the main walls of the building. The worldly reason, however, assigned for this singular proceeding, was one which I did not feel at liberty to dispute.
The brother had been led to his resolution (so he told me) by consideration of the unusual character of the malady of the deceased (брат был подведен к своему решению, так он сказал мне, соображением о необычном характере болезни покойной; to lead – вести), of certain obtrusive and eager inquiries on the part of her medical men (о некоторых назойливых и энергичных расспросах со стороны ее врачей: «медицинских людей»), and of the remote and exposed situation of the burial-ground of the family (и о далеком и открытом всем ветрам положении семейного кладбища; to expose – выставлять; burial – погребение; ground – земля; burial-ground – кладбище).
The brother had been led to his resolution (so he told me) by consideration of the unusual character of the malady of the deceased, of certain obtrusive and eager inquiries on the part of her medical men, and of the remote and exposed situation of the burial-ground of the family.
I will not deny that when I called to mind the sinister countenance of the person whom I met upon the staircase (я не стану отрицать, что когда я припомнил: «призвал на ум» зловещий вид особы, которую я встретил на лестнице), on the day of my arrival at the house (в день моего прибытия в дом), I had no desire to oppose what I regarded as at best but a harmless, and by no means an unnatural, precaution (я не имел никакого желания возражать против того, что я рассматривал как, в лучшем случае, лишь безвредную и никоим образом не неестественную предосторожность; to regard – рассматривать, расценивать; at best – в лучшем /случае/; means – средство, метод; by no means – никоим образом).
I will not deny that when I called to mind the sinister countenance of the person whom I met upon the staircase, on the day of my arrival at the house, I had no desire to oppose what I regarded as at best but a harmless, and by no means an unnatural, precaution.
At the request of Usher, I personally aided him in the arrangements for the temporary entombment (по просьбе Ашера я лично помог ему в устройстве временного захоронения). The body having been encoffined (тело, будучи положено во гроб = /когда/ тело было положено во гроб; to encoffin – класть в гроб), we two alone bore it to its rest (мы двое одни отнесли его к его упокоению; to bear – нести). The vault in which we placed it (склеп, в котором мы поместили его) (and which had been so long unopened that our torches, half smothered in its oppressive atmosphere, gave us little opportunity for investigation) (и который был так долго неоткрываем, что наши факелы, наполовину задушенные в его давящей атмосфере, давали нам мало возможности для обследования) was small, damp, and entirely without means of admission for light (был маленьким, сырым и совершенно без доступа для света; means – средство; admission – допуск); lying, at great depth, immediately beneath that portion of the building in which was my own sleeping apartment (лежащий на большой глубине непосредственно под той частью здания, в которой был мой собственный ночной: «сонный» покой).
At the request of Usher, I personally aided him in the arrangements for the temporary entombment. The body having been encoffined, we two alone bore it to its rest. The vault in which we placed it (and which had been so long unopened that our torches, half smothered in its oppressive atmosphere, gave us little opportunity for investigation) was small, damp, and entirely without means of admission for light; lying, at great depth, immediately beneath that portion of the building in which was my own sleeping apartment.
It had been used, apparently, in remote feudal times, for the worst purposes of a donjon-keep (он /склеп/ использовался, по-видимому, в отдаленные феодальные времена в худших целях крепостного заточения), and, in later days, as a place of deposit for powder, or some other highly combustible substance (а в позднейшие дни – как место для хранения пороха или какой-либо другой легко воспламеняющейся субстанции), as a portion of its floor, and the whole interior of a long archway through which we reached it (так как часть пола и вся внутренность долгого сводчатого коридора, по которому мы добрались до него), were carefully sheathed with copper (были тщательно обшиты медью). The door, of massive iron, had been, also, similarly protected (дверь, массивного железа, была тоже подобным же образом укреплена). Its immense weight caused an unusually sharp grating sound, as it moved upon its hinges (ее гигантский вес вызывал необыкновенно резкий скребущий звук, когда она двигалась на своих петлях).
It had been used, apparently, in remote feudal times, for the worst purposes of a donjon-keep, and, in later days, as a place of deposit for powder, or some other highly combustible substance, as a portion of its floor, and the whole interior of a long archway through which we reached it, were carefully sheathed with copper. The door, of massive iron, had been, also, similarly protected. Its immense weight caused an unusually sharp grating sound, as it moved upon its hinges.
Having deposited our mournful burden upon trestles within this region of horror (поставив нашу печальную ношу на козлы в этом месте ужаса), we partially turned aside the yet unscrewed lid of the coffin (мы частично отодвинули еще не привернутую шурупами крышку гроба), and looked upon the face of the tenant (и посмотрели на лицо /его/ обитательницы). A striking similitude between the brother and sister now first arrested my attention (поразительное сходство между братом и сестрой теперь впервые остановило /на себе/ мое внимание; to strike – ударять; поражать); and Usher, divining, perhaps, my thoughts, murmured out some few words from which I learned (и Ашер, угадав, вероятно, мои мысли, пробормотал несколько слов, из которых я узнал; to murmur – бормотать; to murmur out – «выбормотать»; some – несколько; few – мало) that the deceased and himself had been twins (что покойница и он сам были двойняшками), and that sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature had always existed between them (и что со-чувствие едва доступной пониманию природы всегда существовало между ними; sympathy – сочувствие, симпатия; intelligible – разборчивый, доступный пониманию).
Having deposited our mournful burden upon trestles within this region of horror, we partially turned aside the yet unscrewed lid of the coffin, and looked upon the face of the tenant. A striking similitude between the brother and sister now first arrested my attention; and Usher, divining, perhaps, my thoughts, murmured out some few words from which I learned that the deceased and himself had been twins, and that sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature had always existed between them.
Our glances, however, rested not long upon the dead (наши взгляды, однако, недолго задержались на мертвой) – for we could not regard her unawed (ибо мы не могли смотреть на нее без ужаса: «неужаснувшимися»). The disease which had thus entombed the lady in the maturity of youth (болезнь, которая так похоронила даму в расцвете юности; maturity – зрелость, расцвет), had left, as usual in all maladies of a strictly cataleptical character (оставила, как обычно при всех болезнях строго каталептического характера; to leave – оставлять), the mockery of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face (пародию на легкий румянец на груди и лице; to mock – насмехаться), and that suspiciously lingering smile upon the lip which is so terrible in death (и ту подозрительно задержавшуюся улыбку на губах: «на губе», которая так ужасна в смерти; to linger – медлить, оставаться, задерживаться). We replaced and screwed down the lid (мы вернули на место и привернули крышку), and, having secured the door of iron, made our way, with toll (и, заперев дверь из железа, направились: «сделали свой путь» с колокольным звоном; to toll – звонить в колокол; издавать похоронный звон, звонить по покойнику), into the scarcely less gloomy apartments of the upper portion of the house (в едва менее мрачные покои верхней части дома).
Our glances, however, rested not long upon the dead – for we could not regard her unawed. The disease which had thus entombed the lady in the maturity of youth, had left, as usual in all maladies of a strictly cataleptical character, the mockery of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face, and that suspiciously lingering smile upon the lip which is so terrible in death. We replaced and screwed down the lid, and, having secured the door of iron, made our way, with toll, into the scarcely less gloomy apartments of the upper portion of the house.
And now, some days of bitter grief having elapsed (и теперь, /когда/ несколько дней горькой скорби прошли), an observable change came over the features of the mental disorder of my friend (заметная перемена произошла в чертах умственного = душевного расстройства моего друга; to come over – охватить: «найти на»). His ordinary manner had vanished (его обычная манера пропала). His ordinary occupations were neglected or forgotten (его обычные занятия были пренебрегаемы или забыты). He roamed from chamber to chamber with hurried, unequal, and objectless step (он бродил из комнаты в комнату поспешным, неровным и бесцельным шагом). The pallor of his countenance had assumed, if possible, a more ghastly hue (бледность его лица приобрела, если /это/ возможно, более жуткий оттенок) – but the luminousness of his eye had utterly gone out (но сияние его глаз: «глаза» совершенно погасло; luminous – светящийся; to go out – выйти; погаснуть).
And now, some days of bitter grief having elapsed, an observable change came over the features of the mental disorder of my friend. His ordinary manner had vanished. His ordinary occupations were neglected or forgotten. He roamed from chamber to chamber with hurried, unequal, and objectless step. The pallor of his countenance had assumed, if possible, a more ghastly hue – but the luminousness of his eye had utterly gone out.
The once occasional huskiness of his tone was heard no more (когда-то случавшаяся хрипотца его голоса не была слышна больше; occasional – нерегулярный; к случаю); and a tremulous quaver, as if of extreme terror, habitually characterized his utterance (и неверная дрожь, словно бы от крайнего ужаса, привычно характеризовала его речь; tremulous – дрожащий; quaver – дрожь; to utter – произносить). There were times, indeed, when I thought his unceasingly agitated mind was labouring with some oppressive secret (были моменты, в самом деле, когда я думал, что его беспрестанно возбужденный ум трудился над какой-то гнетущей тайной), to divulge which he struggled for the necessary courage (чтобы раскрыть которую, он боролся за необходимую смелость = набирался смелости).
